If diagnostic testing determines that there is a blockage in the blood vessels of the heart, the Joel E. Smilow Heart Institute offers a variety of special techniques that can open clogged heart arteries without surgery. These procedures include balloon angioplasty and stent replacements often with drug-coated stents to keep blockages from recurring. Bridgeport Hospital pioneered many of these procedures in the region, bringing new, effective treatments to the people of southern Connecticut.